Live blog: Israel kills two more Palestinians in Gaza despite ceasefire

Thursday, January 23, 2025

1911 GMT — Two Palestinians have been killed and others wounded in Israeli attacks in southern and central Gaza despite a ceasefire agreement.

Casualties occurred in an Israeli artillery strike targeting a house in the Tel Al-Sultan neighbourhood in western Rafah, southern Gaza, a medical source said.

The neighbourhood is designated a "safe" area under the deal between Israel and Hamas, allowing Palestinians to return.

Another medical source said an injured Palestinian was transferred to the al-Aqsa Martyrs Hospital in Deir al Balah, central Gaza after being shot by Israeli forces stationed in the eastern areas of the Al Bureij refugee camp.

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1912 GMT — UN reports significant improvement in operating conditions in Gaza amid ceasefire

The UN has reported a significant improvement in aid operations amid the implementation of a ceasefire in Gaza.

Citing the UN's Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), deputy spokesman Farhan Haq said at a news conference that "aid, cargo and humanitarian personnel are moving into areas that were previously hard to reach."

"Yesterday, humanitarian organisations on the ground in Gaza transported 118 trucks of food parcels and flour from the UNRWA (UN Agency for Palestinian Refugees) warehouses to more than 60 distribution points across southern Gaza," he said.

1912 GMT — Gaza 'ceasefire is not a permanent solution': Arab League chief

Arab League Secretary-General Ahmed Aboul Gheit has stated that the ceasefire in Gaza does not provide a lasting solution, noting that peace can only be achieved by fulfilling the Palestinian people's right to an independent state.

Describing Israel's 15-month campaign of attacks as a "war of genocide" against Gaza, Gheit told the UN Security Council that "the ceasefire is not a permanent solution."

"The basis for peace can only be achieved by the realisation of the Palestinian people of their right to an independent state on the borders of June 1967 with East Jerusalem as its capital," he said.

1858 GMT — Jordan urges adherence to Gaza agreement, cautions about Israeli escalation in occupied West Bank

Jordan's King Abdullah II has emphasised the importance of adhering to the ceasefire deal in Gaza and warned about Israeli escalation in the occupied West Bank.

King Abdullah stressed "the need to maintain coordination on various issues of mutual concern," highlighting "the United States’ pivotal role in promoting stability and achieving peace regionally and globally."

He underscored "the need to ensure the sustainability of the ceasefire in Gaza, and increase the flow of humanitarian aid."

1817 GMT — Gaza ceasefire offers a 'ray of hope,' says UN official

A senior UN official has welcomed the recently implemented Gaza ceasefire, calling it a "ray of hope" for the ongoing suffering of Palestinians.

"This critical and long-awaited agreement offers a ray of hope, a long-overdue moment that provides much-needed relief for Palestinians in Gaza and the hostages reunited with their loved ones," Khaled Khiari, UN assistant secretary-general for the Middle East and Asia and the Pacific, said.

He emphasised the importance of the UN Agency for Palestinian Refugees (UNRWA) and said the agency "must be enabled to carry out its mandate, as adopted by the General Assembly, in all its areas of operation."

1708 GMT — People in Gaza are 'hungry and homeless': WFP official

The head of emergency communications at the World Food Programme (WFP), who saw the devastation and destruction in Gaza, has said people in the enclave are facing serious hunger and no one has a place to live.

"It was a particularly difficult moment. After 15 months of war, everyone is hungry and homeless," Dumont said.

"Desperation was increasing. People were afraid that food would run out. We were not able to get enough food in because the security situation was getting also very difficult."

1606 GMT — Gaza ceasefire collapse to drag Middle East into ‘uncertainty, chaos’: Jordan

Jordan’s foreign minister has warned that the collapse of a Gaza ceasefire deal will drag the whole Middle East region into “anxiety, uncertainty, and chaos.”

“As we talk about Gaza and the risk of the ceasefire not holding which is dragging not just Gaza into hell again but the whole region into anxiety, uncertainty and chaos that we have seen,” Ayman Safadi said during a session at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland.

“We’re going to see a bottom of pressure from the people of both sides to ensure that the ceasefire holds because you know we cannot forget the hell it has been last year for everybody,” Safadi said.

1513 GMT — Israel has to withdraw from Lebanon ahead of deadline completely: Hezbollah

Hezbollah has said that Israel has to completely withdraw from Lebanon as the 60-day period in a ceasefire deal comes to an end, adding that the Lebanese state should push for guarantee for the withdrawal.

The group also said in a statement that it was following developments and that any breach of the agreement would not be accepted.

1427 GMT — Yemen’s Houthis unilaterally free 113 prisons: Red Cross

The Yemeni Houthi group has unilaterally released 113 detainees, the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) has said.

“We are pleased to see that humanitarian considerations are being prioritised, particularly for the families eagerly awaiting the return of their loved ones,” said Daphnee Maret, the ICRC’s head of delegation in Yemen.

Maret said the ICRC is prepared to extend its humanitarian services to people detained in relation to the conflict in Yemen and their families.

1355 GMT — Israel burns homes in Jenin as deadly raids continue

The Israeli army burned several homes in the Jenin refugee camp in the northern occupied West Bank, witnesses have said.

“Five homes were set ablaze in the Al-Ghaber neighbourhood in Jenin camp,” an eyewitness said.

The attack came as the army continued its military assaults for the third day in a row in Jenin, killing at least 12 people and wounding 40 others.

1315 GMT — Hundreds of Palestinian civilians forced to flee under fire amid Israeli assault on Jenin

Hundreds of Palestinians were forcibly displaced by the Israeli army from the Jenin refugee camp amid a military operation in the northern occupied West Bank city, according to residents.

“The situation in the camp is extremely difficult amid the violent assault,” a Palestinian woman, who declined to be named, said, adding that water, electricity, and communication networks have been severed.

Forced to leave with her disabled elderly mother, she recounted, “I couldn’t manage on my own; other residents helped us evacuate.”

The forced evacuations are concentrated in the southern and western areas of the camp, particularly in the Damaj and Hawashin neighbourhoods.

1314 GMT — Jordan's FM to Davos: We cannot afford another war in the occupied West Bank

Jordan could not afford another war in the neighbouring Israeli-occupied Palestinian West Bank, the country's Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi told the World Economic Forum in Davos.

1220 GMT — Israeli tank kills two Palestinians west of Gaza's Rafah, Gaza's civil defence says

An Israeli tank has killed two Palestinians west of Gaza's Rafah, the Gaza Civil Defence has said.

Israel and Hamas agreed to halt fighting in Gaza in a deal that went into effect on Sunday.

1214 GMT — Gaza death toll nears 47,300 as 120 bodies recovered from rubble

Palestinian medics retrieved the bodies of 120 people from under the rubble in Gaza, pushing the overall death toll from Israel’s genocidal war since October 2023 to 47,283, the Health Ministry has said.

Despite the recent ceasefire, the true scale of the death toll remains uncertain. As more bodies are uncovered, the number of fatalities is expected to rise significantly.

A ministry statement added that 306 wounded people were also transferred to hospitals in the last 24 hours, taking the number of injuries to 111,472 in the Israeli onslaught.

“Many people are still trapped under the rubble and on the roads as rescuers are unable to reach them,” it added.

1049 GMT — Israeli army arrests 22 more Palestinians in occupied West Bank raids

The Israeli army has rounded up at least 22 more Palestinians in fresh Israeli military raids in the occupied West Bank, according to prisoners’ affairs groups.

A woman and former prisoners were among the detainees in the raids that targeted East Jerusalem, Hebron, Nablus, Tulkarem, and Ramallah, the Commission of Detainees’ Affairs and the Palestinian Prisoner Society said in a joint statement.

The raids came as the Israeli army continued a military aggression for the third day in a row in the northern city of Jenin, killing at least 12 people and wounding 40 others.

1027 GMT — Vatican releases footage of Pope holding video call with Catholic parish in Gaza

Pope Francis made a video call to the Holy Family Parish in Gaza, continuing a nightly ritual to stay connected with the community amid the ongoing conflict, Vatican News reported.

The pontiff has called the parish every evening since October 9, 2023, two days after the Israeli attacks on Gaza began, the agency said. The Holy Family Parish, located within its church and school, has become a refuge for more than 600 people, including Christians and Muslims.

During the call, Pope Francis spoke with Father Youssef, the parish priest, asking about their dinner. A video shared by the agency showed parishioners, including children, women, and men, gathering to greet the pope.

0955 GMT — Israeli forces burn house in southern Lebanon, in latest violation of ceasefire

Israeli army forces burnt a house in southern Lebanon, in the latest violation of a ceasefire agreement.

The Lebanese state news agency NNA said the house was set ablaze in the eastern neighborhood of Qantara town in the Marjayoun district.

It came after at least 11 Israeli violations of the Nov. 27, 2024 ceasefire agreement were reported on Wednesday, bringing the total violations to 633 since the deal came into force.

0913 GMT — Pakistan condemns Israeli raid on Jenin refugee camp in West Bank

Pakistan condemned the Israeli raid on the Jenin refugee camp in the West Bank that killed at least 10 Palestinians.

Speaking at a weekly news briefing, Pakistan's Foreign Ministry spokesperson Shafqat Ali Khan urged the international community to take notice of the latest Israeli raid.

"Such actions potentially undermine the precarious ceasefire in Gaza, and the international community should take note of it," Khan said.

0900 GMT — Israeli army kills 2 more Palestinians in occupied West Bank

Israeli forces killed two more Palestinians in the occupied West Bank amid a military offensive in Jenin city, the Health Ministry has said.

Two young men, aged 25 and 30, were killed by Israeli army fire in the town of Burqin, west of Jenin, the ministry said in a statement.

The bodies of the two men were still held by the Israeli army, it added.

0833 GMT — Australia urged to pressure Israel to stop 'slaughter' of Palestinians

An Australian rights group urged the government of Prime Minister Antony Albanese to pressure Israel to end its ongoing genocide and apartheid against the Palestinians in Gaza and the occupied West Bank.

The Australia Palestine Advocacy Network (APAN), in a statement on Thursday, demanded Canberra suspend "all" trade and diplomatic relations with Israel, which continues violence in Gaza in clear violation of the ceasefire, as well as in the occupied West Bank.

Israeli forces have killed 10 people and wounded dozens in a brutal military invasion of Jenin, deploying Apache helicopters and engaging in indiscriminate violence.

0600 GMT — Yemen's Houthis say freed detained ship's crew after Gaza truce

Yemen's Houthis freed the crew of the merchant ship Galaxy Leader after detaining them for more than a year, citing the ceasefire in Gaza between Israel and Hamas as motivation.

The Houthi supreme council "announced the freeing of the crew of the Galaxy Leader, who were arrested on November 19, 2023 during the campaign in solidarity with Gaza", the rebels' Saba news agency said.

0600 GMT — Israeli forces raid across occupied West Bank amid Jenin siege

Israeli forces have conducted multiple raids across the occupied West Bank, according to local sources, amid ongoing siege on Jenin.

According to Palestinian WAFA news agency, the Israeli army said that the forces barged their way into Turmusayya town, northeast of Ramallah, and deployed in the vicinity of the municipal building.

In Jenin, the forces stormed Fahma village and fired barrages of tear gas canisters towards the villagers, sparking confrontations.

In Bethlehem, Israeli soldiers carried out a similar raid into al-Khader town, deployed at the main Jerusalem-Hebron Road and showered local stores with tear gas canisters, but without resulting in any casualty.

Israeli forces raid Palestinian houses almost daily across the West Bank on the pretext of searching for "wanted" Palestinians, triggering clashes with residents.

0140 GMT — Israel to receive names of 4 hostages to be released next under Gaza ceasefire deal

The Palestinian group Hamas is expected to provide to Israel the names of three female soldiers and an Israeli civilian it is holding in Gaza in preparation for their release this weekend as part of a ceasefire deal, a local newspaper reported.

The Yedioth Ahronoth daily said the four captives are expected to be handed over to the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) on Saturday afternoon, after which they will be transferred to Israeli forces.

The newspaper speculated that the civilians to be released may be Arbel Yehud and her boyfriend, Ariel Cunio.

2333 GMT — Trump re-designates Houthis as 'Foreign Terrorist Organization'

US President Donald Trump has re-designated Yemen's Houthi group as a 'Foreign Terrorist Organization'.

The Biden administration revoked the designation of the Houthis, or Ansarallah, as a Foreign Terrorist Organization (FTO) on Feb. 16, 2021.

The White House said in a statement that the order was issued by the president, adding the Yemeni group has fired at US Navy warships dozens of times since 2023, endangering American men and women in uniform.

It also claimed the group's activities threaten the security of American civilians and personnel in the Middle East, the safety of the US’s regional partners, and the stability of global maritime trade.

"It is the policy of the United States to cooperate with its regional partners to eliminate Ansar Allah's capabilities and operations, deprive it of resources, and thereby end its attacks on US personnel and civilians, US partners, and maritime shipping in the Red Sea," said the statement.

2240 GMT — Netanyahu asks Trump to extend Israeli troop withdrawal from southern Lebanon

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has asked US President Donald Trump for additional time for Israel to maintain its military occupation in southern Lebanon as a deadline approaches, local media reported.

Under a ceasefire agreement reached last November between Israel and Lebanon, the Israeli army is required to pull out from southern Lebanon within 60 days.

With just 72 hours left, the time is fast approaching for Israel to vacate all the territories it occupied during its recent invasion of Lebanon.

2100 GMT — US, Israel talk Gaza as Tel Aviv abducts Palestinians from Jenin

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio has spoken with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to reiterate Washington's support for its ally, and the two also discussed Iran and Israeli captives in Gaza, the State Department said.

The call was Rubio's first with Israel since the administration of Republican President Donald Trump took office on Monday. Trump and his predecessor, Democratic former President Joe Biden, have both been supporters of Israel's genocidal war in Gaza.

Rubio underscored that "maintaining the United States' steadfast support for Israel is a top priority for Trump," the State Department said in a statement.

Rubio told Netanyahu that Washington will continue to work "tirelessly" to help free the remaining captives in Gaza, the State Department added.

"The Secretary also conveyed that he looks forward to addressing the threats posed by Iran and pursuing opportunities for peace," the State Department said.

2000 GMT — Israeli forces abduct seven more Palestinians

Israeli occupation forces have abducted at least seven Palestinians from the occupied West Bank governorates of Jenin and Jericho, WAFA news agency said, citing eyewitnesses.

"The occupation forces rounded up at least four Palestinians; two women identified as the mother of two Palestinians slain by Israeli army gunfire and two youths, from the Jenin refugee camp," the Palestinian news agency reported.

Israeli forces raided the city of Jericho, triggering confrontations, WAFA said, adding two youths from the Silwan neighbourhood in occupied Jerusalem were abducted by the invading soldiers.

According to the latest figures from Addameer, the Palestinian Prisoner Support, and the Human Rights Association, there are currently 10,400 Palestinian political prisoners in Israeli prisons and detention centers, including 320 child and 88 female abductees.

Over the past 50 years, more than 800,000 Palestinians were abducted by Israel once or many times and this figure is now believed to be closer to 1 million, according to a 2017 report by Addameer.

For our live updates from Wednesday, January 22, 2025, click here.